The death of former minister of justice Chen Ding-nan (
Chen was a politician with a reputation for honesty and fastidiousness -- and he made it clear he wanted his funeral to be conducted accordingly, despite what custom might decree. He stipulated that his funeral be a simple one, without a mourning hall, funeral ceremony, flowers or gifts. Flowers and gifts sent by the president, the premier and others have all been declined.
However, if high-ranking Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) officials really want to honor Chen, they should follow through on his plan to establish an anti-corruption agency under the Ministry of Justice. In this way, the DPP could lay a strong foundation for a cleaner political system for years to come.
During his term as minister of justice, Chen established the Black Gold Investigation Center, which has been in charge of investigating the recent political scandals. The Ministry of Justice's Bureau of Investigation was intentionally bypassed for the investigation into the alleged misuse of the presidential "state affairs fund" as well as Chinatrust Financial Holding's controversial investment in Mega Financial. This was because the bureau's handling of big corruption cases in the past was less than ideal. Not only were there constant leaks, but the bureau appeared to be easily influenced by political interests and information uncovered during investigations had been used in political attacks.
Chen recognized the deep-rooted problems within the bureau, including its far-reaching brief -- protecting social order and investigating major crimes, including drug abuse, smuggling and corruption, as well as investigating national security issues. It is the country's only all-encompassing investigative unit, and it has been managed through a system of personal networks and connections common to long-established bodies.
He proposed the establishment of a new organization, one specifically entrusted with attacking graft and modeled after Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption. The agency would have clearly defined responsibilities and jurisdiction.
Building a clean government and cultivating diligent and caring politicians were once core values held by the DPP. They were also principles that Chen sought to uphold throughout his political career. Integrity and self-discipline are what the DPP has to pursue now.
Both the opposition parties and the red-clad followers of former DPP chairman Shih Ming-teh (
The government should formulate a complete set of legal standards, a system for enforcing them and a supervisory body. The passage of the "sunshine laws" now before the legislature and the establishment of a Cabinet-level anti-corruption agency would be steps in the right direction.
The Cabinet's proposal for an anti-corruption agency has been boycotted in the legislature by the pan-blue camp, while the bureau has done everything it can to obstruct the bill's passage. That is why the bill, which has 70 percent public support, has remained sidelined in the legislature for so long.
Since lawmakers of all persuasions are now proclaiming the need to combat corruption and enact the "sunshine laws," the public should observe which parties merely pay lip service to anti-corruption efforts and which are serious about getting down to work.
As strategic tensions escalate across the vast Indo-Pacific region, Taiwan has emerged as more than a potential flashpoint. It is the fulcrum upon which the credibility of the evolving American-led strategy of integrated deterrence now rests. How the US and regional powers like Japan respond to Taiwan’s defense, and how credible the deterrent against Chinese aggression proves to be, will profoundly shape the Indo-Pacific security architecture for years to come. A successful defense of Taiwan through strengthened deterrence in the Indo-Pacific would enhance the credibility of the US-led alliance system and underpin America’s global preeminence, while a failure of integrated deterrence would
The Executive Yuan recently revised a page of its Web site on ethnic groups in Taiwan, replacing the term “Han” (漢族) with “the rest of the population.” The page, which was updated on March 24, describes the composition of Taiwan’s registered households as indigenous (2.5 percent), foreign origin (1.2 percent) and the rest of the population (96.2 percent). The change was picked up by a social media user and amplified by local media, sparking heated discussion over the weekend. The pan-blue and pro-China camp called it a politically motivated desinicization attempt to obscure the Han Chinese ethnicity of most Taiwanese.
On Wednesday last week, the Rossiyskaya Gazeta published an article by Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) asserting the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) territorial claim over Taiwan effective 1945, predicated upon instruments such as the 1943 Cairo Declaration and the 1945 Potsdam Proclamation. The article further contended that this de jure and de facto status was subsequently reaffirmed by UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 of 1971. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs promptly issued a statement categorically repudiating these assertions. In addition to the reasons put forward by the ministry, I believe that China’s assertions are open to questions in international
The Legislative Yuan passed an amendment on Friday last week to add four national holidays and make Workers’ Day a national holiday for all sectors — a move referred to as “four plus one.” The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), who used their combined legislative majority to push the bill through its third reading, claim the holidays were chosen based on their inherent significance and social relevance. However, in passing the amendment, they have stuck to the traditional mindset of taking a holiday just for the sake of it, failing to make good use of
RSS